This invention relates to L-sugars and more particularly to a method for commercially producing L-sugars for use as a sweetener for foodstuffs.
It has been known that sugars, i.e., D-sugars, such as D-glucose, D-fructose, D-saccharose, and others, have been useful as sweeteners. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,032, it is now known that the use of L-sugars, such as L-gulose may be used as sweeteners for foodstuffs and are non-calorific.
The synthesis of L-sugars has generally been done experimentally in the laboratory and not on a commercial basis. However, since there is a need for producing sugars which are non-calorific, it would be advantageous to provide a method which could provide L-sugars such as those provided by the present invention economically and efficiently.